Thursday, October 31, 2019

Integrated Marketing and Communication Term Paper

Integrated Marketing and Communication - Term Paper Example However, depending on the context and environment in which the business is operating, different interpretations of IMC have evolved. IMC has gained importance from both academic researchers and corporate decision makers. According to academic scholars, the concept of IMC cannot be defined with the help of any rigid definition. An in depth understanding of the various ways of marketing communication would be useful in explaining the huge utility of this term in the present business context and the marketing activities made by companies all over the globe (Drummond & Ensor, 2005). Integrated marketing communications The procedure followed in integrated marketing communications refers to a series of activities made by companies in succession to one another. These activities are â€Å"the strategic analysis, choice, implementation and control of all elements of marketing communications which efficiently, economically and effectively influence transactions between an organization and its existing and potential customers, consumers and clients† (Panda, 2007, p. 524). ... This applies to any category of corporate organization that deals with any kind of product or service. Companies can however, customize each individual process of this entire system according to the marketing objectives and production goals of the organization. For all the years since 1950, companies have used this concept of marketing communications as an all inclusive notion of marketing that acts as an envelope to all the different levels of marketing activities and communication of the companies. However, the technique of integrating these varied functional areas strategically into the functioning of the companies differs from company to company. The approach is unique to the pattern of resource allocation made by the company and also its position and status relative to its competitors (FitzGerald, 2000). In this paper the concept of integrated marketing communications has been critically evaluated and the different elements of this process have been studied in order to device a single strategy for marketing communications. The prime aim of this strategy would be to allow companies to achieve customer satisfaction by following IMC. It would help companies to identify target audiences from the markets and frame the most appropriate strategy to communicate with them. Companies generally use multiple channels of communication. In order to generate best results, the strategy developed through the IMC process should be consistently used while executing each of all the communication functions made by the firm (FitzGerald, 2000). IMC Strategy & Plan Every organization runs its business with a three-fold objective; increasing market share, maintaining competitive advantage over the current rivals of the company and

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Baby Dumping Essay Example for Free

Baby Dumping Essay Child is a priceless give from Allah. However, baby dumping is a social crisis and has a chronic discarding or leaving alone, for an extended period time, a child younger than 12 months of age in a public or private setting with the intent to dispose of the child. Based on Bukit Aman Police Headquarters statistic found a total of 580 babies were found dumped between year 2011-2012 and found the number was increased day by up until now. This number of cases every year where as much as 65 baby dumping cases has increased to 83 cases in the earlier year of 2013. In the first 5 months, almost every day there are reports on dumped baby cases. This scenario had been more serious from day to day although there are a lot about this in a mass media and teenagers always seen to be involved in this situation. YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE ISSUE: In my opinion, we can avoid the baby dumping through several activities; Through campaign: To raise awareness of this issue to the public. One of the campaigns focuses is Kami Prihatin. It was launched on 23rd March 2010 and activities were organized to promote child protection policy, producing the documentary and publishing community awareness advertisements in Utusan Malaysia. Other ways: Prevention programs towards the regions and categories of population with increased risks of dumping and setting up a coherent reporting and monitoring system as regards the dumping and the risk of abandonment. Standardizing the written forms and the procedures of registering women which get admitted in maternities in order to give birth and elaborating procedures for keeping records of mothers and children without identity papers and creating a database on this matter. Religion knowledge: every religion emphasizes their believer to not to do the wrong things. Long-term solutions to the problem of baby dumping require efforts at prevention. Steps must be taken to prevent unwanted pregnancies, provide assistance to parents in crisis, and increase communication within families and communities. HOW THE ISSUE CAN INFLUENCE YOU IN YOUR LIFE For me, this kind of action should be avoid totally by every single soul because the baby is an innocent and don’t know anything and even animal loves their babies. This kind of action gives me such a lesson that it will ruin our society ‘totally’. We should take a responsibilities to our action and do not let others take it. I can’t stand still if I heart this kind of case because I have the humanity sense and I think other people are agreed to my statement. Only people that have no humanity sense will dump their baby away. I will not do this action and I hope others too. I am the saddest person if I heard and look the baby being dumped by their ‘animal’ mother.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Elements Of Culture Corporate Artifacts Commerce Essay

Elements Of Culture Corporate Artifacts Commerce Essay Experienced captains know that navigating uncharted sea should be pay more attention to observe, analyze to predict potential risks and make proper decisions. As a manager, running an existing or setting up a new company also need these skills, strategic management helps corporate to focus ahead, understand the marketing environment and reposition business to effectively compete other companies. Corporate strategy management is related to different aspects, such as financial aspects, human resources management, organizational culture, marketing, etc. Organizational culture is one of these important aspects, which is an indispensable and intangible aspect of strategy management. The concepts of organizational culture and organizational strategy looks like different, but they have a closer relationship between each other. Normally one part of corporate success depends on the support of organizational culture to organizational strategy. Organizational culture is about expectations, valu es and beliefs learned and shared by the companys members and transmitted from one generation of employees to anther. The organizational culture generally reflects the values of the founders and the mission of the company. Culture gives a corporate a sense of identity: This is what we stand for. This is who we are. This is what we do. The culture includes the dominant orientation of the company, such as customer care at Hilton, innovation at Apple, product quality at Volvo, or RD at HP. It often includes the many informal work rules that the staffs follow without asking questions. These work practices over time become part of a companys unquestioned tradition. The culture, therefor reflects the companys value. (Thomas, L 2012) Apple Inc does well in their organizational culture, their culture was based on an ideal that self-motivated individuals will work harder if they do not have a boss micromanaging every action. This unique and successful culture helps Apple Inc develop the mos t attractive products and occupy the market rapidly. (Scribd 2010) Elements of culture corporate artifacts, shared values, shared assumption When you walk into a hotel, a resort, a university, a bank, what do you notice first? What do frist impressions tell you about the organization that you have just entered? How friendly it will be? How expensive it will be? What kind of behavior is expected of you? How will the staff approach and deal with you? Now look more carefully at the physical surroundings what positive and negative signs, symbols and signals do you get? How exactly are these being transmitted to you? These are all aspects of organizational culture. Cultural awareness will not only lead to more effective staffs, but also get more customers or clients and increase the customers loyalty. There are many elements of organizational culture, but three of them artifacts, values, and assumptions are the key elements, organizational employees create the sets of artifacts, values, and assumptions, no single element can build corporate culture. Corporate artifacts are the observable signs and symbols of an organizationa l culture, such as the corporate stories or legends, the organizations physical layout and the way guests are greeted, it is also a language and physical structure of the organization, the artifact may be as formal as the staff handbook or a hotel logo, or as informal as decoration in the front lobby. Artifacts are important because they offer the best evidence about a companys culture. In Hilton, there is a famous story, 80% hotels were closed down during the great depression in America. The hotels owner Conrad Hilton still told his staff dont forget the etiquette, the smile is always belong to the guests. After the great depression, Hilton hotel lead into the new flourishing period and became the leader in tourism industry. (Charles Kelly 2010) Values are stable, evaluative beliefs that guide organizational members preferences for goals or plans of action in a variety of situations, such as compassion, innovation, cooperation, compassion, integrity, service innovation, and the cr eativity. Values could demonstrate themselves in the form of corporate strategies, goals and desired qualities. Building organizational core values can be used to guide principles and wish the employees to insist to these. For example: Lenovo which was established with 25,000 RMB investment in a guard house in China, today, Lenovo is a US$21 billion personal technology company which ousts HP as worlds largest PC vendor. (Gartner 2012) Its success mainly depends on its strategy and corporate culture, its core value innovative spirit and customer service attract more talents and customers, which help Lenovo occupy the global market.( Lenovo 2012) Along with shared values , corporate culture consists of a deeper element shared assumptions. These are unconscious taken for granted perception or beliefs that have worked so well in the past that they are considered the correct way to think and act toward problems and opportunities. Shared assumptions are so deeply ingrained that you prob ably would not discover them by surveying employees. Only by observing employees, analyzing their decisions, and debriefing them about their actions would these assumptions rise to the surface. (Steven, L. 2008) Why do executives at Lenovo, Hilton hotel group and other companies pay so much attention to organizational culture? The answer is that they believe a strong culture is competitive advantage. Culture is one of the most precious things a company has, so the company must work harder on it than anything else.the effect of organizational culture depends partly on its strength. Corporate culture strength refers to how widely and deeply employees hold the companys dominant values and assumptions. In a strong organizational culture, most staffs across all subunits hold the predominant values. These values are also organized by established artifacts, which make it difficult for these values to change. A strong corporate culture potentially increase a companys success by serving three important functions: control system, which is deeply embedded form of social control that influence employee decisions and behaviors; social glue, which is increasingly important as a way to attract new staff an d retain top performers; and sense-making process, it helps employees understand what goes on and why things happen in company. Impact of organizational culture on tourism industry customers decision In tourism industry, the organizational culture also play an important role in its daily business, the organizational culture will have impact on the customers decision, employees service, the companys brand or reputation and the revenue. Organizational culture is the most basic determinant of a persons wants and behavior. It comprises the basic values, perceptions, wants, and behaviors that a person learns continuously in a society. Today, most societies are in a state of flux. Culture is expressed through tangible items such as food, architecture, clothing, and art. In the minds of millions of travelers worldwide, hotel means Hilton a place where they know they will find warm hospitality, comfort, value and rewarding recognition. This brand strength, coupled with Hiltons leading edge management systems, translates into an incredibly successful business model. Partnering with this iconic industry The culture of Hilton hotel group helps the corporate to attract more customers and inc rease their customers loyalty indirectly. Impact on employee performance Corporate culture not only have impact on customers decisions, but also on the employees satisfaction and performance, organizational culture has the potential to increase the corporate performance and employee satisfaction, the relationship between the culture and performance are that organizational culture can have a significant influence on a companys long-term economic performance and will probably be an even more important factor in determining the success or failure of firms during the next 10 years, the impact of organizational culture is also related to the service to the guests. Organization culture is important in hotel, because it sets out a control mechanism. It influences the the relationship between the employees and how decisions are made by managers in hotel. An example is where the hotel hire a new supervisor who make decisions without studying the organizational culture first, If the changes he makes conflict with the organization culture, it will confuse the employ ees behavior. In Hilton, the hotel management do it specially, other hotel put the customers in the first place, but in Hilton, they also put their employees in the first place, not matter you are the general manager or the cleaner of the back area, they think that in the hospitality industry fulfilled guests are the direct result of a fulfilled staff. The hotel offer scholarships ,travel plans, health schemes for the employees, and trust, respect, understand their employees, create the relaxed working environment to build team spirit and good mood. Hilton elevator program, which helps the Hilton Group develop a large amount of talented, internationally mobile employees and try the best to make sure every of them to the management level during 5-8 years from starting this elevator program, also helps the corporate retain their talent employees and attract more new employees. Impact on branding Nowadays, the most important thing lead brands famous or not normally is their strong culture. Successful organizations often ask themselves: how do we continue grow and promote the continuation of organization culture that makes them successful? Amazon purchased Zappos.com. Why? One key reason: because of their culture and potential to innovate the customer experience on the web and WOW them. What are the ingredients for the kind of brand culture that will fuel your companys sales, create customer loyalty and attract the right people to work with. When company begin to create culture, people are the companys asset. A company existing in the world now consist lots of people staffs, guests and suppliers. Thats why people and what they think and feel matter now more than ever before. The look of a companys advertising, design of the web site, coolness of its mobile apps are all important, but not as important as the voice and the actions of its people. Building a strong brand culture, then, starts with the people. The culture is not owned by the marketing team, it is owned by the entire company from the CEO to the customer service rep and everyone in between. And companies that nurture a distinct brand culture in the workplace will become a distinctive brand in the marketplace. Focus on developing your people and relationships and everything else will follow. Impact on leadership Organizational culture can have impact on customers decision, employee performance and corporate brand, it also can influence the leadership, leaders is created by the culture; culture created by its leaders, Leaders are supposed to be in charge of organizations, but the organizational culture also have huge impact on their decision-making in the workplace. If the leaders want to change something in company, their styles of leadership should be adjusted strategically and accommodated the organizational culture. Leaders have the roles to decide the daily business and program of activities according the basic assumption of the organizations. If the subordinates behavior are in accordance with the program outlined by the leader the value obtained is high, and vice versa when the behavior of individuals within the organization is far from the truth as set forth in the work program by the leader, then its value is low. Leadership is about supervising and guiding the following employees to wards a unified standard or target, by broadcasting as a positive impact and using motivational strategies. Leaders can be used to lead corporate through organizational, operational, structural and operational reforms.This phenomenon can be said to be similar to the growth phase of organization proposed by, especially in the second growth phase in which an organization grew on the basis of guidance (direction) of a leader that has been agreed upon by the organization. The phenomenon can be turned around, meaning leader could be created by the organizational cultural when the leader is born as a successor (succession) in an organization in which the organizational culture has taken hold and has become part of the life of the organization. An example is in the organization of government. A country or government was born from the foundations of the Constitution and the philosophy of life in which the state constitution and the philosophy of life is the basic assumption of the governmen t culture. New leader as the next generation will continue the previous leadership with the basic assumption that the new leader as the successor will hold and preserve the culture of the organization. It can be said that new leader was being created by the organizational culture. This thinking has been proven by. In his research, he found that the differences of the dimensions of transformational leadership, especially is on the charisma and inspirational motivation. U.S workers have greater leadership on the variables that focus on the vision, expected future, optimism, and enthusiasm in achieving business results. While in Germany, workers have less charisma and initiative. But there is no difference in terms of transactional leadership. Some cultural values may also predict leadership style, but only in small portions. This explains that cultural values have little affect on the leadership. How to learn culture? Building organizational culture should be taken long time, thus let the employees learn the organizational culture also be difficult, Culture is broadcast to staffs in many ways, the most efficient methods are the stories, material symbols, language and material symbols. Numerous of senior Nike executive spend lots of time to be a company storytellers to promote their organizational culture. And these stories they convey are about the Nike history. The executives always tell a story about their co-founder Bill Bowerman, he poured rubber into his wifes waffle iron to create a better running shoe, this story is about innovation sprite of Nike. When the new employees hear the story of Chinese runing star Liu Xiangs battles to be succeed in winning champion at the 100-meter hurdle race, especially he used Nikes equipment, this stroy tells the new hires that Nikes commitment to helping athletes. These stories are circulated through many retail shops and companies. Normally they will tell a narrative of stories about he companies co-founders, reductions in the workplace, rags-to-riches successes, relocation of employees, reaction to reduce the mistakes. The stories explain legitimate current practices and describe history. Rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of the organization what goals are most important, which people are important, and which people are expendable. One of the better-know is Walmarts company chant. Begun by the companys founder, Sam Walton, as a way to motivate and unite his workforce, Gimme a W, gimme an A, gimme an L, gimme a squiggle, give me an M, A, R, T! has become a ritual that bonds workers and reinforces Waltons belief in the value of his employees to the companys success. Similar corporate chants are used by IBM, Ericsson, Novell, Deustsche Bank. Many organizations and subunits within them use language to help members identify with culture, attest to their accpetance of it, and help preserve it. Unique terms describe equipment, officers, key individuals, suppliers, customers, or products that relate to the business. New employees may at first be overwhelmed by acronyms and jargon, that once assimilated, act as a common denominator to unite members of a given culture or subculture. If you are a new employee at Boeing, you will find yourself learning a unique vocabulary, including Boeing online data, etc. Conclusion Organizational culture has three main functions. It is the bridge that connect people together and makes them feel part of the organizational experience. corporate culture helps employees make sense of the workplace. Third, It is also a deeply embedded form of social control. Organizations with strong cultures normally perform better than those with weak cultures, but only when the cultural content is suit for the companys environment. Also, the culture should not be so strong that it drives out dissenting values, which may form emerging values for the future. As a manager, you can help the company shape the culture. All managers work together and can especially do their part to consider spiritually and its role in creating a positive organizational culture and to create the organizational culture. Often you can do as much as to shape your organizational culture as the culture of the organization shapes you.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Essay --

Colin Stremlau Arntz English 9th 3rd period December 17, 2013 Abortion – Why It’s Wrong â€Å"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing in between.† -Mother Teresa Have you ever realized how precious life is? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were never born? Some babies don't get to experience life because of abortion. Abortion isn't an ethical way for abandoning a baby nor is it fair to our community, its killing innocent people. Several babies have died from abortion and more will continue to do so because people support the pro-choice movement. Pro-choice isn't ethical because it's against religion, morality, and can be emotionally damaging. Abortion doesn't benefit the baby or the woman. Some people believe that life starts after birth, but it doesn't. All unborn babies are people; we must realize this and stop murdering defenseless babies. Abortion is a selfish act and it occurs very often. There are other solutions and it's ver...

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Advantage of Wealth

Since time immemorial, it has been a common notion that wealth defines a person’s status in the society. It is usually associated with the amount of material things that a person owns that wealth is determined. This essay would try to evaluate the advantage of wealth in the light of the novels ’ Hedda Gabler’ by Henrik Ibsen and ‘The Great Gatsby’ by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald.A discussion of the basic concept of wealth in each novel will first be identified. A deliberation on the advantage of wealth in each novel will be highlighted. Lastly, the essay will compare the ideas in the two novels to establish the significance of wealth.The Great Gatsby, narrated through the eyes of Nick Carraway, denotes his enthusiasm to the life of his neighbor Jay Gatsby. The novel is a love story on the surface with the concept of betrayal and true love emanating from each chapter. Nevertheless, the novel connotes on the absurdity of life, wealth and social status during the 19th century. As can be reiterated, the novel tries to undermine the fact that ‘money is tantamount to power and authority in the society’.  Basically, the novel is about the pursuit of Daisy’s love by Jay Gatsby and the means that Gatsby had used to attain his goals. It is noted that Jay and Daisy had been in love prior to her marriage to Tom. Jay had to leave because of war but they promised each other that they will someday marry and live together.Nonetheless, when Jay came back, he discovered that Daisy had married a rich and wealthy man, Tom Buchanan. Gatsby’s dream is to be with Daisy forever and to win back Daisy’s love. Since Daisy is a woman of aristocratic heritage, it is a prerequisite for him to be rich and famous to be able to succeed her love. Thus, Jay Gatsby has been blinded by money. His dream has been based on the acquisition of money, fortune and fame due to the belief that material wealth can bring back everything.  To further emphasize this viewpoint, it can be helpful to understand some quotes from the novel itself. In a statement when Gatsby imagined that Daisy will divorce Tom, he uttered ‘I’m going to fix everything just the way it was before (Fitzgerald, p. 111)’.This statement holds his faith to his wealth; it shows that despite everything, he believed that money can still fix everything. When Nick advises him that ‘you can’t repeat the past’, Gatsby replied ‘Why, of course, you can (Fitzgerald p. 111)’.   The conversation further reveals Gatsby’s confidence in the power of wealth and determination towards what he wants.One of the most exquisite remarks that Jay Gatsby had uttered is that ‘Her voice is full of money (Fitzgerald p. 144)’, in reference to Daisy. Gatsby is aware of the fact that his love for Daisy is based on attraction towards wealth. In this regard, Gatsby believed that money can substitute love since Tom had substitute Jay’s place in Daisy’s heart. Like money, love is something that needs to be acquired which determines the purpose of being for Jay. Everything that Jay spends is a way towards fulfilling his dream.Daisy on the other hand displays the significance of wealth when she married Tom Buchanan despite the fact that she is not in love with him. The novel hinted the interest that Daisy still have for Jay after all the years when she inquired ‘What Gatsby?’ and when she drunk her self before her bridal dinner crying and holding a letter (possibly from Gatsby) in another hand saying ‘Tell ‘em all Daisy’s change her mind (Fitzgerald, p. 51)’.Wealth is seen as a way to relieve the pain of being left alone. By marrying a wealthy man, Daisy can more easily mend her broken heart. She had been able to ‘moved with a fast crowd (Fitzgerald, p.52)’ and able to maintain her reputation. Money is portrayed as a way out of loneliness. Wealth is displayed as a road towards happiness and fulfillment.Hedda Gabler is actually a play written by Ibsen showing how much societal pressure and norms confine a person into a specific stereotype. The story revolves around Hedda, who is newly married to George Tesman, an aspiring professor. Hedda is described as the daughter of an aristocratic General Gabler.It is apparent from the course of the dialogue between Hedda and the other characters that she does not love her husband. It also seems as if she only married him because he can at least provide her with her needs although it may not be enough. Hedda, all throughout the story manipulated other characters into doing her will. George, Aunt Julie and the other characters wants to please her and they do their best to reach her upper-class taste.Hedda has everything she need. Nonetheless, since she has to marry to maintain her social status, she chose to marry George Tesman. Tesman is a very bookish person. H e even researched from libraries despite being on honeymoon. He relay his amazement of the museums and libraries to Aunt Julie, stating ‘Notes, documents- people didn’t know existed (Ibsen, p.13)’. Tesman is willing to do everything for Hedda yet she cannot be satisfied.The advantage of wealth lies on the respect and the treatment that Hedda receives from other people despite her unusually rude and manipulative character. Despite the fact that Aunt Julie was hurt when Hedda mistaken her new hat to be old and to belong to the maid, she still treat Hedda nicely. Aunt Julie stated ‘she’s lovely all her life (Ibsen, p.19)’.Thea also remark about Hedda’s difference with her status in the line ‘we’ve not been close†¦ you were always, in a different world from me, socially (Ibsen, p. 26)’. This shows that even though both are women of the same era, Thea still recognizes the fact that Hedda is different ‘sociallyà ¢â‚¬â„¢. Being a daughter of a respected and powerful general gives her enough freedom and authority, bestowed by the society, to be regarded more powerful than the other women.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Whats the ACT Score Range

What's the ACT Score Range SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You can’t study effectively for the ACT if you don’t know what score to aim for, and you won’t know what score to aim for if you don’t know how the ACT is scored! In this post, I’ll start off with some important background info on the ACT before getting to the good stuff- the ACT score range and what you should know about it. For example, what do these scores mean? What counts as a good ACT score? Read on to find out! ACT: The Basics Although it wasn’t the original college entrance exam, the ACT is now accepted everywhere that the SAT is. In fact,more people take the ACT every year than the SAT. The ACT (or the SAT, if you so choose) will be an important part of your college applications. Admissions officers consider your scores as a measure of academic preparedness- the higher your scores, the stronger your application. Higher-ranking schools have higher expectations when it comes to ACT scores, so if you want to be a top applicant, it's important to know what scores you should be aiming for (don't worry, we'll get to that shortly)! The ACT Score Range The ACT is scored out of a total of 36 points- this is known as the composite, or total, score. The lowest possible composite score is 1. This score is calculatedby averaging all the ACT sections. There are four sections, or tests, within the ACT. Each test is scored out of 36 points, with the lowest possible score of 1- just like the composite score. Here's some information about what to expect for each ACT section (click the links to read more about each topic): English–75 total questions Math–60 total questions Reading–40 total questions Science–40 total questions There’s also the option to take the ACT with a writing section. Some colleges require you take the ACT with Writing. This doesn’t affect your composite score, but your writing section will be sent to colleges in addition to the scores above. There have been some changes to the ACT Writing section this year, so be sure to check out our guide for more info. A Better Understanding of ACT Scores Here's where we start to make sense of this score range. A score range of 1-36 isn’t necessarily easy to wrap your head around, unlike a standard test scored out of 100 points. While it’s helpful to know about the maximum and minimum scores, the range doesn’t really tell you what’s average or normal for a student like you. Lucky for us, millions of students take the ACT every year, and we have access to information about how they’ve scored. National ACT Performance Here's what we know about the ACT score distribution on a national level: The average composite score is 21 points, out of a possible 36. The 75th percentile score is 24. This means that students who score 24 points had higher composite scores than 75% of all other test takers. Scores of 24+ are generally considered excellent,at least on a national level. The 25th percentile score is 16. This means that students who score 16 points had lower composite scores than 75% of all other test takers. Scores at or below 16 points are generally considered low, at least on a national level. If you want more detailed information on national ACT score distribution, check out this percentile chart. High School and Target College ACT Performance Although looking at national ACT performance is helpful, it can only get you so far. People who take the ACT come from vastly different backgroundsand have vastly different goals- you go to one particular high school in one particular area, and you're probably looking at a specific set of colleges, right? You won't be applying to every single school in the country. You'll want to aim for goal scores that are appropriate considering both your educational background and your future goals. The first steps in this process involve learning how your peers perform on the ACT, and learning how students at your target schools perform on the ACT. To learn what your peers tend to score on the test: Google "[Your high school name] ACT score report" See your guidance counselor Ask your friends Read our guide to understanding ACT scores for more detailed instructions To learn what students at your target colleges score on the ACT (remember, you want your scores to look like theirs): Google "[school name] PrepScholar admissions requirements" to get information on 25th and 75th percentile ACT scores Read our guide to setting appropriate goal scores for more information What's Next? Now that you know all about the ACT score range, you can start learning all you can about the test's content. Check out how to prepare for the ACT English, math, reading, and science sections. If you're particularly ambitious and want to aim for some of those top schools I mentioned earlier, learn how to score a perfect 36 on the ACT. Disappointed with your ACT scores? Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Why Free trade is more important than fair trade The WritePass Journal

Why Free trade is more important than fair trade Introduction Why Free trade is more important than fair trade Introduction1.0 Definition1.1 Free Trade1.2 Fair Trade2.0 The Importance of Free Trade2.1 Gainers2.2 Absolute advantage2.3 Effective use of raw materials2.4 Lesser living cost and more products choice3.2 Losers3.0 The Importance of Fair Trade4.0 Free Trade vs. Fair TradeConclusionReferencesRelated Introduction In a globalized world, very few people would question the benefits of international free trade. Different countries can produce their own products having a comparative advantage, and then exchange with the products produced by other countries. However, in the process of international trade, there will always produce gainers and losers, and thus will always be people complaining about unfair trade. In the global context of the economic crisis, there is a call for further promoting trade liberalization; on other hand some people advocate promotion of fair trade. So, is the pursuit of fair trade more important? Or, is the promotion of the free trade more important? This essay will critically discuss the statement â€Å"Free trade is more important than fair trade.† 1.0 Definition 1.1 Free Trade Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) This form of international trade policy has been widely spread over the free trade zones nowadays. Since opening the over sea market for the countrys domestic absolute advantages products, it benefits both the trade partners from the long-term economic vision. 1.2 Fair Trade Eisenberg states that â€Å"Fair trade refers to exchanges, the terms of which meet the demands of justice.† (2005) In fact, fair trade has not been defined universally ever. FINE is a charity association, which consists of four divisions. The divisions are international fair trade networks, European Fair Trade Association, World Fair Trade Organization, Fair-trade Labeling Organizations International and Network of European World shops. FINE indicates that fair trade partnership is based on dialogue, transparency and respect; member in this network looks for greater equity in international trade. (European Fair Trade Association, 2009) It contributes to help workers or producers in developing countries, especially in the southern hemisphere, provide a more equitable trading condition and promote sustainability. Fair trade organizations are supported by consumers for supporting producers in undeveloped countries, and making the rules of international trade campaign more equitable. Fair Trade system has many types of goods growing more, which are coffee, cocoa, dried fruit, fruit juice, nuts, vegetable oil, quinine, rice, spices, sugar, tea and Red wine, etc. In order to selling fair trade goods, companies need to apply for licenses to use the fair trade mark. 2.0 The Importance of Free Trade The free trade is a double sword. One side edge carries advantage; another edge carries disadvantage. Therefore, there will be always gainers and losers. 2.1 Gainers The free trade has many benefits, which produce many different gainers in the global market. It prevents interference efficiently of local government on import and export trade; cancel various privileges of the domestic trade. So the importers can gain many benefits from the free trade. Let’s take a look at other gainers. 2.2 Absolute advantage According to Adam Smiths theory, countries can specialize in the production of goods for which they have an absolute advantage that including highly skilled labour, sufficient raw materials and then trade these for goods they produced less-efficiently from other countries. (Hill, 2009) This is a win-win situation, two countries exchanging goods from each other are both gainers. 2.3 Effective use of raw materials Free trade also brings great opportunities for effectively using raw materials. Some countries in the Middle East have rich resources of oil, but there will not be much benefit without trade. For instance, Qatar can gain much benefit from exchanging many goods and technologies with oil. On other hand, some developed countries, such as Japan have very few raw materials. They can gain much oil they need with exchanging technologies; otherwise they would be very poor. 2.4 Lesser living cost and more products choice The citizens are also big gainers from free trade. Free trade system can effectively stop selling products at high prices from local protectionism, which lead lower living cost. Free trade also leads to more products being available in the market. Consumers have more choices on the products in market for different prices and types. Charles W.L. Hill mentioned in the book International business that if a national market is small, there may not be enough demand to enable producers to realize economics of scale for certain products. Accordingly, those products may not be produced, thereby limiting the variety of products available to consumers. (2009) 3.2 Losers Free trade brings great opportunities, also brings great competitions, especially for the developing countries. In the initial stage, many new industries in developing countries are not strong enough to survive from the competition of established industries in developed countries. The local government will introduce some measures in order to protecting local industry. Alexander Hamilton proposed it in 1972. According to the argument, there is a potential comparative advantage in manufacturing in many developing countries.for instance, China owns cheaper labour and raw material costs, and India has big population of highly skilled and knowledgeable employees who can communicate with frequent English. However, at the initial stage, most of their small to medium sized firms in industries are too weak to survive from  Ã‚   brutal competitions of established industries much earlier in international market. The reason is that they do not have strong background for financial subsidies and source which assist them get toehold in the start point. Moreover, it is common phenomenon that firms in those developing countries hardly reach the international standard for high-end products. The argument is if the new industries should necessarily be protected temporarily by incentives until they have become strong enough to competition in free international trade market.ï ¼Ë†Hillï ¼Å' 2009ï ¼â€°For example, if China lets the automobile industries from Germany, Japan and other countries enter the domestic market without trade protection, and then Chinas own auto industries would collapse. So China adopts the import tariffs on imported cars in order to protecting its automobile industry. When the local new industries become strong enough to global market competitiveness, the government should abolish the protective measures established before, otherwise the measures of protection would adversely affect global trade. In fact, canceling the original protection is not an easy; t he negative impact of such measures is to produce local monopoly. 3.0 The Importance of Fair Trade Fair trade is a strategy for sustainable development of economic and poverty reduction in the world. Its goal is to create opportunities for producers from economically disadvantaged countries. It does not only provide fair payments to the producers, but also consider the equal pay according to the principle of equality between the sexes. If the partners of fair traders need payment in advanced in order to surviving in the special situation, fair traders have to ensure matching their demands. Fair traders also need to take responsibilities for avoiding potential health and safety problems for producers. If children are involved in the working environment, fair trader will ensure matching safety and education requirements for them. In the 1960, the largest distribution of the fair trade is to help the countries banned from main global trade market by political issues, to find markets for their products. (Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International, 2009) Nicolas Eberhart in 2005 had the Bolivian case study concerning fair trade coffee as a member of the French non-governmental organizations Agronomes ET Và ©tà ©rinaires sans frontià ¨res. It proved that the fair trade did not only have a positive impact on the local price of coffee in Yungas, but also have the economic benefit to all coffee producers. Meanwhile, fair trade organization could enhance their production and their political influence. (Ebrehart, 2005) The econometric analysis led by Becchetti and Costantion verificated effects of fair trade on farmers of Kenya. The researchers observed a group of farmers with fair trade certification, and another group of farmers without fair trade certification for Comparison. After a period of time, Becchetti and Costantion found that fair trade could improve the living quality of famers, reduce child mortality, improve household food intake, and increase the price of their crops and so on, in either monetary or non-monetary value. Unfortunately, in the methodology, this research had errors for the sample of crops, the relative contribution of fair trade and the choice of the control group. (Becchetti, Costantino, 2006) 4.0 Free Trade vs. Fair Trade Jeffrey Eisenberg states that free trade refers to an international trading policy that aims at openness. (2005) Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) The Oxfam charity and some economists believe that the foreign suppliers in trade should be paid a fair price, such as the cocoa beans for making chocolate should be bought by higher than market price. This may be the most influential demand for fair trade today. (BHAGWATI, 2010) However, â€Å"fair price (wage)† has been questioned by Jeffrey Eisenberg. Would the price be fair if it was higher? The price can get higher for few workers capturing the jobs; or the price can get lower in order to providing more job opportunities for more workers get paid. Which way is fairer? (Eisenberg, 2005) Ngaire Woods recommends using the protectionism as a part of the preferential system properly in order to helping backward industries in undeveloped countries. In personal opinion, there is possibility that the preferential system or protectionism can make negative impacts on the trade, if they cannot be implemented well. Fair trade is the expression of justice with human emotion. Free trade regard voluntariness as the chief component of justice. (Eisenberg, 2005) Although fair trade is positive activity on many respects, solely advocating fair trade and ignoring the benefit of free trade is really not necessary. Most believe that both free trade and fair trade at least have one thing in common. Worldwide they are concerning justice, poverty alleviation and prosperity. Free trade and fair trade should stopping opposing each other. Fair trade can be an efficient measure of supervision in order to improving free trade system. Because of there are still many gaps and loopholes in free trade system. For instance, the international rules are generated by trade negotiations, primarily for the rich countries, while the market is closed for the main export products in poorer countries, such as agriculture. (Woods, 2005) So, is the pursuit of fair trade more important? Or, is the promotion of the free trade more important? Answer is free trade is more important than fair trade for global economic development. Conclusion Free trade is a form of international policy, which local government cannot try to interfere on the operation of foreign import goods, or export goods. (Hill, 2009) The free trade has many benefits, such as producing lesser living cost and more products choice; bringing opportunity for exchanging with absolute advantage and effective use of raw materials. Fair trade is a strategy for sustainable development of economic and poverty reduction in the world. Its goal is to create opportunities for producers from economically disadvantaged countries. For global economic development, free trade is more important. However, fair trade and free trade have one thing in common, which concern with global justice, poverty alleviation and global prosperity. Moreover, fair trade can be an efficient measure of supervision in order to improving free trade system. References Charles W.L. Hill, (2009), International Business, 7th Edition, Chapter 5, 6, McGraw-Hill Irwin Charles W.L. Hill, (2009), International Business Competing in the Global Marketplace, 6th Edition, Chapter 5, 6, McGraw-Hill Irwin Eberhart, N. (2005). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade L. Becchetti, M. Costantino (2006). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_trade European Fair Trade Association. (2009). Fair Trade Labelling Organizations International (2009). Global Fairtrade sales increase yearly by 22%. economist.com/debate/days/view/508 globalenvision.org/library/15/834

Sunday, October 20, 2019

APA Style Template Avoiding Plagiarism in Papers Reports

APA Style Template Avoiding Plagiarism in Papers Reports When you write a report, you want to make sure that its in the correct format. In the business world, presentation is everything, and you want to make sure that you are presenting your data in the correct format. Likewise, you will want to ensure that all academic papers you create are structurally sound and grammatically correct. One of the pitfalls of writing is accidental plagiarism. With sloppy citation, you can create a bastion of problems that can undermine your research. You will want to conform your writing to the APA style, using APA style citation. With an APA style template, you are able to quickly and easily format your reports and academic papers. Using an APA style template, you simply enter the information you intend to use, and the formatting is taken care of instantly. In fact, you can insert frequently used citations, using APA software that will store your sources for easy insertion into your APA style template. The Importance of an APA Style Template The importance of correct citations is immeasurable. When you pass off other peoples quotations and work as your own, you undermine the confidence of the reader. You want to make sure that you are presenting a scrupulous report, and citing all necessary sources.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Story - Essay Example One of the eyewitnesses brought us to the hospital. However, there was an absence of blood for my sister and we could lose her. Luckily, I was a match and my blood helped my sister to survive. What impressed me most was the situation under which the sister received professional help. There were no modern equipment or supplies in the hospital, however, that did not stop doctors, who were obviously so dedicated to what they were doing, from giving the qualified help to my sister. I was watching the simultaneous and concerted efforts of doctors within their team and I realized I wanted passionately to join them. To some extent, the accident predicated making of a decision to become someone who will be able to help others. I decided to apply to a medical school so my dream, which I was nurturing over these years, came true. I have decided to become a gynecologist, a doctor whose aim is to take care of women and give them an opportunity to bring the most precious gift to the world- a new life. During the five years, which I spent working in hospitals of Baghdad, three of them I assisted Dr. Sabri as a volunteer medical technician in an emergency medicine while I was finishing high school and living with my grandparents. Dr. Sabri also helped me to resolve my problem with housing and found the one inside the hospital. I was also hoping to attend college, however, that was not a safe time for a woman to go to training sessions and back to the campus alone and then live there without any family. That is why I greatly appreciated Dr. Sabri’s help with housing. In the period of war, there was a singular access to electricity in the hospital and I used to be the one who was aware of it. Such availability gave me many opportunities to exercise a leadership role. I had also several cases that happened with people outside the hospital and who needed urgent medical help. Thus, once I helped an elderly woman in the shopping center in

Friday, October 18, 2019

Specialized Patrol Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Specialized Patrol Functions - Essay Example They also leave themselves open to critics who say they go too far in their activities resulting in a hostile community where people exist in a police state. Narcotics law enforcement is one of the biggest uses of a special force. The members of these units are trained in drug identification as well as knowledge of the drug business in a regional area. The duties often involve undercover work to initiate a buy or get information on drug activity. According to the FBI, "Law enforcement officers often employ trickery and deception to catch those involved in criminal activity" (Kukura 1993). Kukura further states that the Supreme Court has upheld these tactics as legal. This may be effective at prosecuting international drug suspects or child pornographers. However, when it is used against small time drug users in local neighborhoods it can result in a community backlash of racism or injustice. Gang activity in our major cities has grown to epidemic proportions. To effectively investigate and prosecute gang activity necessitates a specialized unit that understands the gang mentality and the law enforcement tools that are available to reduce gang activity. Police need information about members' names, ages, modes of transportation, spending patterns, and the political climate of the neighborhoods they operate in (Bureau of Justice 1997).

Lissez-Faire Economy and Functions of Government Coursework

Lissez-Faire Economy and Functions of Government - Coursework Example Laissez-faire economy holds the characteristics of a free market economy which supports the idea of working for private interests. This creates a ground for innovation and creativity to blend into an economy and work in the most efficient manner. In a laissez-faire economy, since there is no government intervention, price determination is done by the market forces of demand and supply and there are no regulations to be followed which are set by the government in a command economy. In such an economy, the producers are profit motivated which boosts up entrepreneurial mindset (Sloman, 2007). The following diagram shows the market forces of demand and supply: Adam Smith, who is regarded as â€Å"the father of modern day economics†, supported the idea of a laissez-faire economy and boosted its importance and significance into the course of history. He referred to ‘the invisible hand’ that regulates the well being of an economy, and consequently, since everybody works for self interest, it benefits the economy as a whole. However, Adam Smith himself supported the idea of government intervention up to a certain extent. The United States of America is a good example where a â€Å"laissez-faire† economy was under practice for a certain period of time. â€Å"Laissez-faire† gained popularity in America because of Adam Smith’s opinions that the government should not indulge too much in the running of economic activities. There existed a greater quantity of conservatives who thought that when government intervened, it was imposing too many regulations. Except the help of government in establishing the railroad system in the 19th century, the state did not intervene much into the decision making of the country. There was existence of private ownership of businesses until the economic system of USA started altering after the Great Depression. There was a great incentive of innovation and people constantly worked in their self interest . The state started intervening to reduce the concentration of businesses and to eradicate monopolies. Before that the state did not interfere in resource allocation of the country and the matters did start deteriorating. Private businesses which were on a large scale started victimizing the small firms and created monopolies. There was a need for government regulation and thus government started stepping in the matters of decision making. Today’s economies have evolved from historical economies and differ in nature and characteristics. In earlier times, government intervened a little too less into how an economic system was supposed to be established. Today’s economies support government intervention and mixed economies have come into existence. A government has vital roles to play and has proved to be beneficial at certain times. A government aims to provide the basic necessities that people or a country require. Its primary aim is to provide security and defense to guard the country against external threat. This enables the people to live in peace and carry out economic activities in the most efficient manner. Also, the government is there to serve justice to people and prevent any illegal activities to take place. But sometimes it pays too much attention on providing security and defense which results in suppression of creativity or innovation that could have resulted in entrepreneurial activities. A government

Why Cognitive Ability Testing is a good predictor of work performance Essay

Why Cognitive Ability Testing is a good predictor of work performance - Essay Example Without such tests, it would be impossible for organizations to hire individuals who are competent enough to ensure that they are able to achieve their missions without much hindrance. Therefore, cognitive ability testing is an essential part of making sure that the work performance of individuals can be predicted. One of the most useful aspects of cognitive ability testing is that it determines the ability of employees to learn and adapt to the work environment. This is an exceptionally essential characteristic for an employee to have because it ensures that he is able to learn about a given situation quickly and take the necessary action that is needed to solve it, especially if it is a crisis (Bertua, et al, 2005). Furthermore, it is in the interest of an employee to be tested since it allows for the development of a better understanding of oneself and this to such an extent that it helps them to take the necessary action needed to develop learning abilities. Moreover, it is helpful for employees to learn whether they are capable of adapting to new situations because there are instances where organizations tend to implement changes at such a fast pace that individuals within these organizations might end up not being capable of handling it properly (Guo, 2012). A result of such circumstance s is that an organization might end up in crisis, making it necessary for cognitive ability testing to be conducted to determine whether individuals who are employed are capable of handling change through adaptation. Employees who are capable of adapting to changes and new situations that come with them tend to be the most successful within the organization because not only is their job performance improved, but also their ability to take on new tasks is often guaranteed (Campitelli and Gerrans, 2014). In this way, employees end up being encouraged to improve their learning and adaptation abilities so that

Thursday, October 17, 2019

A Learning Sequence which covers LS content in Implications of Essay

A Learning Sequence which covers LS content in Implications of National Identity of Chinese - Essay Example handy as it states that knowledge acquisition can be directly interconnected to observing others within the context of experiences, outside media influences as well as social interactions. Most of these approaches rely on the practice of guided finding where the tutor avoids using the most undeviating instruction and endeavours to lead the scholar through queries and actions to determine, deliberate, appreciate, and express the new acquaintance. Therefore, the planning of teaching the above-mentioned topic adopts the constructivist learning theory (Tucker, 2005, p. 89). This study will centre on The Chinese Foundation Secondary School students who are studying form 5 of their junior form course. During their junior form studies, the students should acquire the prerequisite related knowledge of â€Å"identity† from integrated humanities. According to the liberal studies Curriculum and Assessment Guide (C & A Guide EDB of 2007), the relevant learning experience (from P1 to S3) of the concept of identity are: The students need to be well equipped with the basic knowledge concerning the issue about Chinese Nationalism. The students should identify themselves with their national symbols and the court systems. Thus, national identity to them should be seen as the repository of the most cherished and sometimes even extravagant or demented, aspirations (Prazniak, 1996, p. 89).   This module is expected to cover (4-6 lessons of 40 minutes each) together with pre-lesson preparation by students as well as homework if necessary. Therefore, this issue is closely related to two modules of the NSS Liberal Studies curriculum as follows: Upon the completion of the designated task, students are expected to have broadened their take and general understanding on matters pertaining to nationality, patriotism, cultural heritage, and open mindedness. Their overall approach to matters of problem solution cooperation as well as judgment pertaining to matters of justice is expected to

Assessing non-parametric or t tests Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessing non-parametric or t tests - Assignment Example Student’s t-test for single mean is used to test a hypothesis on a specific value of the population mean. It is used to test the null hypothesis against the alternative hypothesis. The t-test for difference of means is used to test the hypothesis that two populations have the same mean. A paired t-test is usually used when the two samples are dependent- this happens when each individual observation of one sample has a unique relationship with a particular member of the other sample. A t-test for correlation coefficient is used for testing an observed sample correlation coefficient (r).Lastly, a t-test for testing significance of regression coefficient is used to test the significance of regression coefficients in linear and multiple regression setups. However no matter the type of t-test you use two assumptions have to be met. These assumptions are that the populations from which the samples are drawn are normal and the population standard deviation is not known. In this resea rch article unpaired t-test was used. Unpaired t-test which is also known as the student's t-test assumes that analyzed data is from a normal distribution. An unpaired test will need two independent groups to be applied and the sample size from the two groups may or may not be equal. In addition to the assumption that the data is from a normal distribution, there is also the assumption that the standard deviation (SD) is approximately the same in both groups. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY The research study is ‘The Effects of Vitamin B6 on the Liver of Diabetic Rats: A Morphological and Biochemical Study’ which was done by Sehnaz Bolkent, Ozlem Sacan, Ayse Karatug and Refiye Yanardag. It is a biological study where the aim of the research study was to examine the morphological and biochemical results of supplement B6 on liver organ cells of normal and streptozotocin-diabetic mice. A trial diabetic issue was caused by intraperitonal hypodermic injection of streptozotoci n (STZ) in a single amount of 65 mg/kg. Vitamin B6 was applied by subcutaneous hypodermic injection at an amount of 20 mg/kg for 15 times. The degenerative changes in the liver organ cells, biochemical changes in sugar stages and in serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) actions were identified. Degenerative changes were seen in the suffering from diabetic issues creatures by light microscopic research. Blood vessels sugar stages, serum AST, ALT and ALP actions improved in the suffering from diabetic issues group. On the other hand, the treatment with supplement B6 for 15 times changed these results. As a result, all of the acquired morphological and biochemical results led to the summary that supplement B6 has a safety effect against diabetic issues. DESCRIPTION AND CRITIQUE OF THE STATISTIC The biological results in this study were evaluated using unpaired t-test. The two variables used were control and control animals given v itamin B6. Both variables were subjected to the same conditions for a specified time of 15 days. The function unpaired test is used to compare two population means. Basically the main aim of this function is to test the null hypothesis that the two population means are equal or the same. The procedure to carrying out an unpaired t-test is first you have to calculate the difference between

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Why Cognitive Ability Testing is a good predictor of work performance Essay

Why Cognitive Ability Testing is a good predictor of work performance - Essay Example Without such tests, it would be impossible for organizations to hire individuals who are competent enough to ensure that they are able to achieve their missions without much hindrance. Therefore, cognitive ability testing is an essential part of making sure that the work performance of individuals can be predicted. One of the most useful aspects of cognitive ability testing is that it determines the ability of employees to learn and adapt to the work environment. This is an exceptionally essential characteristic for an employee to have because it ensures that he is able to learn about a given situation quickly and take the necessary action that is needed to solve it, especially if it is a crisis (Bertua, et al, 2005). Furthermore, it is in the interest of an employee to be tested since it allows for the development of a better understanding of oneself and this to such an extent that it helps them to take the necessary action needed to develop learning abilities. Moreover, it is helpful for employees to learn whether they are capable of adapting to new situations because there are instances where organizations tend to implement changes at such a fast pace that individuals within these organizations might end up not being capable of handling it properly (Guo, 2012). A result of such circumstance s is that an organization might end up in crisis, making it necessary for cognitive ability testing to be conducted to determine whether individuals who are employed are capable of handling change through adaptation. Employees who are capable of adapting to changes and new situations that come with them tend to be the most successful within the organization because not only is their job performance improved, but also their ability to take on new tasks is often guaranteed (Campitelli and Gerrans, 2014). In this way, employees end up being encouraged to improve their learning and adaptation abilities so that

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Assessing non-parametric or t tests Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessing non-parametric or t tests - Assignment Example Student’s t-test for single mean is used to test a hypothesis on a specific value of the population mean. It is used to test the null hypothesis against the alternative hypothesis. The t-test for difference of means is used to test the hypothesis that two populations have the same mean. A paired t-test is usually used when the two samples are dependent- this happens when each individual observation of one sample has a unique relationship with a particular member of the other sample. A t-test for correlation coefficient is used for testing an observed sample correlation coefficient (r).Lastly, a t-test for testing significance of regression coefficient is used to test the significance of regression coefficients in linear and multiple regression setups. However no matter the type of t-test you use two assumptions have to be met. These assumptions are that the populations from which the samples are drawn are normal and the population standard deviation is not known. In this resea rch article unpaired t-test was used. Unpaired t-test which is also known as the student's t-test assumes that analyzed data is from a normal distribution. An unpaired test will need two independent groups to be applied and the sample size from the two groups may or may not be equal. In addition to the assumption that the data is from a normal distribution, there is also the assumption that the standard deviation (SD) is approximately the same in both groups. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY The research study is ‘The Effects of Vitamin B6 on the Liver of Diabetic Rats: A Morphological and Biochemical Study’ which was done by Sehnaz Bolkent, Ozlem Sacan, Ayse Karatug and Refiye Yanardag. It is a biological study where the aim of the research study was to examine the morphological and biochemical results of supplement B6 on liver organ cells of normal and streptozotocin-diabetic mice. A trial diabetic issue was caused by intraperitonal hypodermic injection of streptozotoci n (STZ) in a single amount of 65 mg/kg. Vitamin B6 was applied by subcutaneous hypodermic injection at an amount of 20 mg/kg for 15 times. The degenerative changes in the liver organ cells, biochemical changes in sugar stages and in serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) actions were identified. Degenerative changes were seen in the suffering from diabetic issues creatures by light microscopic research. Blood vessels sugar stages, serum AST, ALT and ALP actions improved in the suffering from diabetic issues group. On the other hand, the treatment with supplement B6 for 15 times changed these results. As a result, all of the acquired morphological and biochemical results led to the summary that supplement B6 has a safety effect against diabetic issues. DESCRIPTION AND CRITIQUE OF THE STATISTIC The biological results in this study were evaluated using unpaired t-test. The two variables used were control and control animals given v itamin B6. Both variables were subjected to the same conditions for a specified time of 15 days. The function unpaired test is used to compare two population means. Basically the main aim of this function is to test the null hypothesis that the two population means are equal or the same. The procedure to carrying out an unpaired t-test is first you have to calculate the difference between

Why Not To Carry A Gun Essay Example for Free

Why Not To Carry A Gun Essay Too often do we hear about people accidentally shooting their family members, and parents committing a family massacre. Even when people buy guns for the best of reasons, somewhere down the road, it goes terribly wrong. Guns cause nothing but harm, and should only be used by policemen. Guns being used by regular people have caused guns to fall into the wrong hands, be used against its owner, give a false sense of confidence, and be used against the wrong person, therefore I refuse to contribute to the problem. When being attacked a gun could easily fall into the hands of the attacker. In the story, A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries A Gun written by Linda A. Hasselstrom, the main character talks about making men get off of her property by the sight of a pistol. She also says that one of the guys was so close to her that he was a few inches away from her face. In present times if someone of more strength is that close to you, it is just too easy to wrestle a gun away from someone. Then next thing you know, you are begging for you rlife. Pulling a gun on your attacker is just too risky. When the gun is turned against its owner, the situation usually turns fatal. There are just too many cases of owners being killed by their own weapons. This reasoning once again applies to A Peaceful Woman It seems that the main character almost purposely gets herself into these situations, to try and prove the pwer of her gun, which seems to be a popular thing among may people. One too many times this power gets turned on the owner, because the owner was cocky, and let their guard down, and in the end there goes another life. When a person has a gun in their hands, it gives them a false sense of confidence. When a person has a gun in their hand they feel that they have all the power. There have been many cases where a person shoots and kills someone just for saying something mean or being connected to an enemy. For example, a close friend of mine in high school, had a friend who was pregnant by her gang member boyfriend. One day she was in front of her house, when someone from a rival gang, drove by and shot her. Needless to  say, she did not live. Tragedies like this happen all the time because it is so easy for anybody to get their hands on a gun. It seems many times that guns are used against the wrong people, such as friends and loved ones. A prime example, is the mistake that my fiancee made almost eight years ago when he was only 18 years old. Him and his best friend were at his uncles house for a get together. While he was downstairs his friend was upstairs playing around with a gun. When his friend, found a bullet, he decided to play russian roulette, not only with his life, but the life of my fiancee as well. When my fiancee entered the room, his friend pulled the trigger, but it was an empty shot, although his friend was not so lucky. His friend gave him the gun, and he wound up killing his friend. My fiancee went to jail for a year and was on probation for five years. The gun caused nothing but problems. No one should be allowed to carry a gun, but they are, so I am taking a stand by refusing to carry one. I have seen and heard too many tragedies to ever be entised by a gun. I may be one of the few people who feel this way, but it keeps me alive, and thats what matters.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Tata CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Tata Group

Tata CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Tata Group Introduction Definition and History of CSR Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means considering the wellbeing of humanity by taking responsibility of the impact of organizations actions on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the surroundings. Organizations have realized that in addition to growing businesses it is also very important to build responsible and sustainable relationships with the large community. Hence, CSR has become increasingly famous in the Indian corporate scenario and is one of the key drivers of CSR. It was in the early 1970s when the term CSR came in to ordinary use after many international corporations were formed, but rarely abbreviated. The term stakeholder means those impacted by organizations activities. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) defined as the principled behavior of a company towards the general public, evident itself in the form of such noble programs initiated by for-profit organizations. Additional motive for this rapid acceptance of CSR is the state of the Indian society. Though India is one of the fastest growing economies, socio-economic issues like poverty, illiteracy, lack of healthcare etc. are still universally present and the government has limited resources to embark upon these challenges. This state of affairs has opened up several areas for businesses to contribute towards social development. CSR is not a latest notion in India. Corporates like the TATA, ITC, Aditya Birla, and Indian Oil Corporation, are few to name who are involved in helping the society ever since their foundation. Several other organizations through donations and charity events have been doing their part for the society. Today, CSR in India has gone ahead of only charity and donations. It is approached in a more organized and structured fashion. It is now considered as an essential part of the corporate strategy. Companies have CSR teams that develop specific policies, strategies and goals for their CSR programs and set aside budgets to sustain them. These programs are based on a clearly defined social philosophy or are closely aligned with the companys business expertise. Employees volunteer their time and contribute their skills, to implement them and are considered as the backbone of these initiatives. Overall development of a community to supporting specific causes like education, environment, healthcare etc. forms part of CSR programs. Organizations like Bharath Petroleum, Maruti Suzuki India, and Hindustan Unilever, adopt villages where they focus on holistic development. They provide better medical and sanitation facilities, build schools and houses, and help the villagers become self-reliant by teaching them vocational and business skills. This is one of the examples of CSR. On the other hand GlaxoSmithKlines CSR programs primarily focus on health and healthy living. They work in tribal villages where they provide medical check-up and treatment, health camps, health awareness programs, etc. They also provide money, medicines and equipment to non-profit organizations that work towards improving health and education in under-served communities. Many CSR initiatives are implemented by corporate in partnership with Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are well versed in working with the local communities and are experts in tackling specific social problems. SAP India in partnership with Hope Foundation, an NGO that works for the enhancing the poor and the needy throughout India, has been working on short and long-term transformation initiatives for the tsunami victims. Together, they also started The SAP Labs Center of HOPE in Bangalore, which serves as a home for street children, where they provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education. Take the following illustration: Companies need to answer to two aspects of their operations: 1. The quality of their management both in terms of people and processes (the inner circle).   2.The nature of, and quantity of their impact on society in the various areas. Outside stakeholders are taking an increasing interest in the activity of the company. Most look to the outer circle what the company has actually done, good or bad, in terms of its products and services, in terms of its impact on the environment and on local communities, or in how it treats and develops its workforce. Out of the various stakeholders, it is financial analysts who are predominantly focused as well as past financial performance on quality of management as an indicator of likely future performance. Why is CSR important? Consumers investors: growing expectation for organisations to behave responsibly Consumer awareness: Green and Ethical consumerism Legislation: HS, EPA, Sustainability, Codes of Practice Globalisation: Adoption of Best Practice, Consumer Legal Acceptance. Business advantages of CSR: Human Resources Recruitment, retention and morale of Staff Risk Management Investment in ethical brand equity Greenwash effect? Brand Differentiation As USP Build brand loyalty Reputation and brand attractiveness Business Development New markets, products and services Resources Management Better management and conservation of strategic assets Stakeholder Management Better internal and external relationships Freedom of operation: reduce government, public, NGO intervention in organisation History of Tata Group In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is in fact the very purpose of its existence. Jamsetji N. Tata, Founder, Tata Group The Trusts Vision: Shri Ratan Tatas thoughts, in 1913, on the manner in which the Trusts fund could be used: .. for the advancement of Education, Learning and Industry in all its branches, including education in economy, sanitary science and art, or for the relief of human suffering or for other works of public utility To engage qualified and competent persons to study into matters that pertain to the social, economic or political welfare of the Indian community, the object being to design schemes of a practical nature calculated to promote the well-being of the said community, care being taken that such work is not undertaken from the stereotype point of view but from the point of view of fresh light that is thrown from day to day by the advance of science and philosophy on problems of human well-being Further he also directed that: No experiment and no venture should be aided or undertaken unless the scheme thereof is carefully prepared No institution or organization should be aided of which the accounts are not subject to periodical audits and are not regularly issued and which would not be open to inspection and examination. Industry Profile of the TATA Group The Tata Group comprises 114 operating companies in seven business sectors: Tata Auto Comp Systems Automotive Tata Steel Materials Tata Power Energy Rallis India Chemicals Tata Realty and Infrastructure Service Tata Tea Consumer Products Tata Technologies Information Systems and Communications Globally: The Tata Group has operations in more than 54 countries. The companies export products and services to 120 nations, across six continents. The Tata Group is one of Indias principal and most valued business multinationals, with revenues in 2005-06 of $21.9 billion (Rs 967,229 million), the equivalent of about 2.8 per cent of the countrys GDP, and a market capitalization of $55.1 billion. Tata companys total employee strength is around 2,46,000. Amongst the 28 public listed enterprises of Tata Group are Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors and Tata Tea have a combined market capitalization that is the maximum among Indian business houses in the private sector, and a shareholder base of over 2 million. The five core values of Tata family are integrity, understanding, excellence, unity and responsibility. Purpose of the TATA Group: To improve the quality of life of the societies they serve. The Group brings a unique set of competences through leadership in sectors of national economic significance. This requires them to grow assertively in focused areas of business. Their legacy of returning to society what they earn put forward trust among consumers, employees, shareholders and the community. The TATA represents leadership with trust in a exceptional way. Milestones: 1868 In the mid 19th century, TATA Group was started by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata 1874 The Group entered into textiles by setting up the Central India Spinning, Weaving and Manufacturing Company. 1902 Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Indias first luxury hotel, opened in 1903. 1907 Indias 1st Iron and Steel plant in Jamshedpur is The Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel) the plant began its production in 1912. 1968 Indias 1st software Services Company is established as a division of Tata Sons called Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). 1995 Tata QMS institutes the JRD QV Award, modeled on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Value Award of the United States, this laid basis of the Tata Business Excellence Model. 1998 Tata Indica, started by Tata Motors is Indias first indigenously designed and manufactured car. 2000 The first major acquirement of an international brand by an Indian business group was Tata Tea acquiring the Tetley Group, UK 2006 Launched Credit Card In Kolkata, the foundation stone for the Tata Medical Centre was shown. MCA-2, Indias largest e-governance initiative was launched by TCS. For the third time, Tata Steel ranked worlds best steel maker by World Steel Dynamics. US-based Eight O Clock Coffee was acquired by Tata Coffee. Tata Sky satellite television service was launched across the country. 2007 In a wider leap, the Anglo-Dutch steel major Corus has vaulted the former to the fifth position from 56th in global steel production capacity, in the Tata Steels acquisition TATA Singur project MB Kulkarni, General Manager (Construction) of Tata Motors, Our work plans are planned in such a way that whatever are the product target dates, in 2008 rolling of the vehicle will take place. Group Chairman Ratan Tatas dream peoples car will be rolled out by next year. For the factory 700 acres of land will be used and manpower has been planned and organized for the construction. TATAs Corporate Social Responsibility SILVER LININGS The company has streamlined its CSR activities into four major areas: HEALTH EMPLOYABILITY EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT Health: The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete mental, physical and social well-being and not merely the absence of infirmity or disease. The health status is usually measured in terms of life expectancy at birth, fertility rate, infant mortality rate, crude birth/death rate. According to the Country Health System Profile, World Health Organization, public health infrastructure in rural India consists of a 3 tier system: A sub centre for every 5,000 population with a male and female worker, A Primary Health Centre (PHC) for every 30,000 population with a medical doctor and other paramedical staff, and A Community Health Centre (CHC) for every 100,000 population with 30 beds and basic specialists. In urban areas, it is 2 tier systems with Urban Health Centre (UHC)/Urban Family Welfare Centre (UFWC) for every 100,000 population followed by general hospital. The existing public health infrastructure is not evenly distributed across the States. Many institutions are not functional due to staff shortage and non-availability of drugs and consumables and essential equipment. As a result of such inadequate public health facilities, it has been estimated that less than 20 percent of the population, which seek OPD services, and less than 45 percent of that which seek indoor patient treatment, avail of such services in public hospitals. A large portion of population seek medical care services from private sector despite the fact that most of these patients do not have the means to make out-of-pocket payments for private health services (National Health Policy 2002). Keeping these figures in mind, the Company has launched several initiatives for improving the health status of community members in the CSR project areas across locations. The initiatives include both preventive as well as curative health care services. In addition, infrastructural development for ensuring a perennial supply of clean drinking water and improved health through better sanitation facilities is also included in the CSR program of the Company. Figures for 2006 : Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 5: Improve Maternal Health Institution of Village Health Workers established Community members identified and trained for providing basic health care to village communities Antenatal cate and anaemua detection and treatment for 590 women Millennium Development Goals 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases Curative Preventive health services were provided to over 92,390 people through the Companys community health programmes, including immunization drives for polio, measles. Special country-wide programmes were conducted for drivers during service camps. 46,548 drivers availed of the free general health and eye check-up camps and AIDS awareness programmes Employability Employability facts Annually Indias labour force is growing at a rate of 2.5% and employment only by 2.3% Indias workforce is self-employed by 60%. Around 30% are casual workers i.e. they work only when they are able to get jobs and remain unpaid for the rest of the days In the Unorganized sector Approximately, approximately 90% of the labour force is employed, i.e. sectors which do not provide other benefits of employment combined with the social security Organized sector. In addition to the Apprenticeship programmes that are run within the premises of the manufacturing units, as per the Apprenticeship Act 1961, the Company has also initiated several efforts to enhance employability of youth. To upgrade the quality of Industrial Training Institute (ITIs), the company has built public-private partnership with government authorities. In the year 2007-08, the upgradation process has been initiated in four it is, who are equipped with latest machines and tools. To understand the manufacturing processes, the students have been taken on exposure visits and for their faculty, Train the Trainer programmes have been organized. Technical and vocational programmes are run for rural youth from the project areas, like Motor Mechanic Vehicle Trade Course, electrical, welding, a/c refrigeration, computer skills, bee-keeping, etc. Special programmes are also run for women including sewing training, beautician courses, manufacturing food products and utility items and cable harnessing and assembly work. More than 9,000 youth and women have benefited from these programmes across Companys locations. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger The Company has identified 10 ITIs across the country to upgrade their facilities and enhance the relevance of their programmes to industry needs, as a part of its skill development programme, In 2007-08, four ITIs have been covered. Training in various technical and vocational trades was given to around 1,085 youth from areas adjecent to the Companys plants. Over 350 local youth have been trained in partnership with the government and the social sector, making them employable at the new plant location of Singur. All 18 students of the Company-supported Mechanic Motor Vehicle Trade Course, 2007-08, in association with the Ramakrishna Mission at Sakwar, Thane district, Maharashtra, have been successfully placed at the Companys dealerships. Two students from the previous batch have been facilitated to become entrepreneurs and have opened their own workshop on the Mumbai-Ahemedabad Highway Millennium Development Goals 3: Promote gender equality and empower women To make the women economically independent, around 1,058 women have been trained in utility items, manufacturing food products and, beautician courses, sewing Education The root of poverty often lies in illiteracy. Social infrastructure like education is as important as physical infrastructure, not only for sustaining high growth but also for enhancing welfare. Education Facts About India Less than half of Indias children between the age 6 and 14 go to school A little over one-third of all children who enroll in grade one reach grade eight Children aged 6 14 years do not attend school, the count of which is atleast 35 million 52% of girls in the age group of 5 to 9 years are illiterate 53% of habitation has a primary school 20% of habitation has a secondary school In nearly 60% of schools, not more than one or two teachers are there to teach Classes I to V The reasons for leaving given by 3 in every four drop-outs are need to work to support their families, little interest in studies and high cost of private education Contribution of Tata Motors towards improving education through infrastructural development for promoting schooling among the villagers and through upgradation of educational facilities like building computer laboratories, sports ground, etc. and organising training to teachers programmes to better the quality of education. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 1: Achieve universal primary education: From over 25 villages, infrastructure was improved in 13 schools, promoting higher education for 2,000 children. From across 33 schools, Shiksha Prasar Kendra, a Tata Motors society at Jamshedpur, supported 18,000 students of which 7,500 are girls Quality of education improved: In 4 schools Teachers training programme was conducted With participation from over 4,300 students, extra-curricular activities was organised in 31 schools In West Bengal at Beraberi High School, Singur, computer labratory was built 375 students were awarded with scholarships for higher studies Environment Climate Change is the environmental issue facing the world today, which is any long-term significant change in the average weather experienced by a given region. Facts on Environment Reports concluded by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are: Since the mid-20th century most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. From new estimates of the combined anthropogenic forcing due to greenhouse gases, land surface changes and aerosols, it is likely that human activities have exerted a substantial net warming influence on climate since 1750. Anthropogenic aerosols produce a net negative radiative forcing (cooling influence) with a greater magnitude in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere The IPCC, which represents consensus in the scientific community, defines extremely likely, virtually certain, very likely, and as indicating probabilities greater than 90%, 95%, and 99%, respectively. Tata Group places a special emphasis on environmental and ecological issues in view of the threat to environment. The Groups efforts to preserve and regenerate environment find expression in the slew of projects and programmes it has undertaken in and around its facilities and operations. In this context a focus area for the group is the climate change crisis. Tata Motors beliefs on sustainability have led to a corporate policy that emphasises environment preservation, the Company works on projects that include reducing effluents and emissions, maintaining local ecologies, repairing green cover and improving long term corporate sustainability. Alignment to Millennium Development Goals and Bharat Nirman Target Impact in 2007-08 Millennium Development Goals 7: Ensure environment sustainablity With an 80% survival rate, over 175,242 saplings have been planted. To promote use of environment-friendly practices smokeless chullahs has been constructed. Agricultural training was given to minimize the use of environmentally hazardous methods and materials. Provide awareness camps on environment related issues. Bharat Nirman Target: 10 million hectares of additional irrigarion capacity to be created by 2009 Check dams and community irrigation wells have been constructed at villages near Pune, improved irrigation to augmenting incomes of families. In Jamshedpur, in over 152 acres tree plantation has extensively been carried out and 85 acres of land has been brought under irrigation Other CSR Objectives Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation (SMDF) has been founded in memory of our ex-chairman Late Shri Sumant Moolgaokar with a view to perpetuate his exemplary work in rural development. Tata Steel has evolved, over the years, an encompassing culture of social responsibility that not only sustains but also enriches the lives of the communities it supports. The companys corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy was inspired by Jamsetji Tatas conviction that, In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder, but is, in fact, the very purpose of its existence. Tata Steels approach to its business has evolved from this concept and the wealth it has created is continuously returned to the people through its community initiatives. And they are following the saying of their ancestors as: Tata Steel CSR team was to work for the welfare of the socially and economically disadvantaged communities living in and around its areas of operation, including the mines and collieries serving the plant. The basic concept of Tata Steel Parivar originates from the century old Corporate Social Responsibility of the Company, which is aptly defined as: Tata steel believes that the primary purposes of the business is to improve the quality of the life. New Life with a New Hope The Commitment of Tata Steel for improving the quality of life of the displaced families has led to the creation of the Tata Steel Parivar concept and each displaced family will be a member of the Tata Steel Parivar. Over the years, its initiatives have encompassed provision of: Healthcare services, Drinking water, Rain water harvesting, Tribal development, Relief and rehabilitation endeavors, Income and employment generation, Womens health and education, Awareness programmers on the ill-effects of drugs, Alcohol and HIV/AIDS, and Patronage to sports and cultural activities. Achievements of TATA Groups CSR Tata Steels Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have earned the steel giant the UK trade Investment (UKTI) India Business Award 2009. Besides acquiring businesses around the world, the Tata group now plans to introduce the world to the Tata way of doing business. The group plans to take overseas the Tata trusts and all the community work that it does as part of its international corporate social responsibility. Tatas Endeavour to strengthen the fabric of India has manifested itself in multiple ways. A crucial component of the Tata idea of nation building was, and remains, the creation and sustaining of exceptional institutions of learning, research, knowledge and intellectual capital. It had created a land mark in educational sector and environmental sector, this can be seen as: TATA GROUP is boomining in every sector whether it is business or corporate social responsibility because: TATAS Commitment to the Environment: The Tata ethos places a special emphasis on environmental and ecological issues. Its efforts to preserve and regenerate the environment find expression in the slew of projects and programmers it has undertaken in and around its facilities and operations. A focus area, in this context, is the climate change crisis. Tata companies work on projects that include repairing green cover, reducing effluents and emissions, maintaining local ecologies and improving long term corporate The Tata group has a set of explicit guidelines on environmental and ecological issues, and a broad range of policies aimed at helping Tata companies protect, conserve and restore our natural resources. The Three Pillars of Sustainability 2020 Adapting to New Markets: Internal Sustainability Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, predicated economic success on putting the community first and investing patiently in social initiatives 140 years ago. Till date, this strategy has enabled Tata to excel in India. A big reason for this is the brand recognition that Tata enjoys in India. However, brand recognition is less of a competitive advantage as Tata expands globally. Many argue that given the current heightened pace of globalization and change in technology, Tatas tenet of investing in long-term social initiatives threatens its short-term competitiveness. The first challenge that Tata must address is to align its existing Corporate Social Responsibility policies, both internal (in regards to the treatment of its workers and green initiative) as well as external (support for surrounding communities) with the customs and challenges of the new markets in which it operates. While Tata created a synergy between Corporate Social Responsibility and profits in India, it must recognize that, going forward, no one-size-fits-all Corporate Social Responsibility strategy exists. In order to facilitate a more effective alignment of local concerns with Tatas global Corporate Social Responsibility efforts, we propose setting up a New Markets Corporate Social Responsibility Committee under the TCCI that will be tasked with collaborating with local executives, as well as civic and governmental leaders to identify and drive social initiatives that will best benefit the communities in the new markets that Tata operates in. As the Tata Groups operations grow physically segregated, it becomes more difficult to align activities with their values and purpose. To ensure this, we propose that the voluntary Tata Index be made mandatory and moved under the TQMS group. To ensure fairness across companies that have different levels of operations within and outside India, the New Markets Corporate Social Responsibility Committee will be responsible for formulating the New Markets Multiplier Factor, which will normalize the Tata Index to a common denominator for all group comp anies. The next 10 years will be vital in the evolution of Tata as a global brand, and these steps will ensure that domestic operations support the continued growth of Tatas global brand and its reflection of leadership in the field of corporate social responsibility. Stepping it up a Notch: Evaluating Product Lifecycle Impact on Society Throughout its history, the Tata group has been considered a poster child of ideal corporate citizenship throughout India. As Tata continues to expand globally, its responsibilities towards its stakeholders investors, employees, and communities are changing. If anything, they are on the rise. Tata must increasingly look beyond its own operations, and consider the impact of its products, both good and bad, on not just the groups direct shareholders, but on the society as a whole. This focus on stakeholders will lead to a sustainable competitive advantage and increased profits both. To this we propose a Product Lifecycle Impact Metric (Exhibit 3). This metric will quantify the projected impact of the Tata Groups products and services over their expected lifetimes. While taking the positive impact of the products and services (such as increased customer productivity, above average fuel mileage, more affordable products etc.) into consideration, this metric will also account for the negative impacts on society (such as increased traffic clogging, environmental effects etc.). While an exact measurement would be impossible to obtain, by working within a structured framework, and with the input of social and civic leaders, Tata could effectively estimate these impacts across their various industries. We are aware that certain businesses or products, though highly profitable, are more prone to have higher negative impacts on society. For instance, while some concerns regarding the Nano have already been mentioned, one would be hard pressed to find many negative lifecycle impacts of the watches manufactured by Titan Industries (besides the manufacturing, shipping, and eventual dispos